Adding data

After you've created the structure of your geodatabase, it's time to add the data. Just as there is more than one way to define the structure, there is more than one way to add data to a geodatabase.

When you import spatial data, you are creating the structure of a geodatabase component and populating it with data at the same time. You can import one or more data files at a time.

If you set up the structure of your geodatabase by creating empty feature classes, feature datasets, and nonspatial tables, adding the data is a separate operation. You have several options for adding data. You can:

· Use the Simple Data Loader in ArcCatalog

· Use the Object Loader in ArcMap

· Create new spatial data in ArcMap

You can add data to a geodatabase using both ArcCatalog and ArcMap.

Both the Simple Data Loader and the Object Loader can be used to add data to an existing feature class or table, which can either be empty or already contain data. The Simple Data Loader allows you to add simple features and objects from multiple sources into a single feature class or table, and the process is very quick. The Object Loader allows you to load objects and their behavior, but the process is slower.

In ArcMap, you can create new features when using geoprocessing tools, performing certain editing tasks, by exporting selected features, as well as by digitizing. You'll learn about these operations in the next lab.